title: Skin, reactive oxygen species, and circadian clocks.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Skin, a complex organ and the body's first line of defense against environmental insults, plays a critical role in maintaining homeostasis in an organism. This balance is maintained through a complex network of cellular machinery and signaling events, including those regulating oxidative stress and circadian rhythms. These regulatory mechanisms have developed integral systems to protect skin cells and to signal to the rest of the body in the event of internal and environmental stresses.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Interestingly, several signaling pathways and many bioactive molecules have been found to be involved and even important in the regulation of oxidative stress and circadian rhythms, especially in the skin. It is becoming increasingly evident that these two regulatory systems may, in fact, be interconnected in the regulation of homeostasis. Important examples of molecules that connect the two systems include serotonin, melatonin, vitamin D, and vitamin A.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Excessive reactive oxygen species and/or dysregulation of antioxidant system and circadian rhythms can cause critical errors in maintaining proper barrier function and skin health, as well as overall homeostasis. Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle seems to contribute to increasing alterations in redox balance and circadian rhythms, thereby posing a critical problem for normal functioning of the living system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since the oxidative stress and circadian rhythm systems seem to have areas of overlap, future research needs to be focused on defining the interactions between these two important systems. This may be especially important in the skin where both systems play critical roles in protecting the whole body.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin , Madison, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
authors.forename: Minakshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nihal
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Nihal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D057906:Circadian Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species